A Letter of Gratitude

As 2020 draws to a close, we pause to reflect. In the darkest days of this strangest of years, we find our hearts warmed by gratitude.

We are profoundly grateful to you, our Owners and community, and to our staff. Thanks to all of you, we’ve navigated 2020’s uncertainties and surprises, and now we find ourselves poised for a healthy New Year.

It would be impossible to describe 2020 without mentioning the challenges. The pandemic forced us to reinvent the way we operate – more than once. We closed our Deli seating area, revamped our Bulk department, started a curbside grocery service, and created new cleaning protocols. At the same time, wildfires, severe storms, and even a derecho created shortages and disrupted supply lines from Seattle and beyond. Like almost all small businesses, we’ve had a hard time finding stockers, cashiers, and buyers, so we’ve sometimes had to operate with a skeleton crew.

So much has changed for all of us. We expect the challenges and disruptions to continue for some time. Yet here we still are, in some ways stronger than ever, taking care of each other.

For this, we say thank you.

To our community:
• Thank you for continuing to shop with us. You’re making fewer shopping trips, but you’re buying more when you do come in. Our 2020 projected sales growth was 4%, but our sales are more than 10% higher than last year. Your support during the pandemic has been phenomenal.
• Thank you for wearing a mask in the store. You’re helping us keep our employees and our community safe. We especially appreciate those who don’t believe masks are necessary but wear them anyway. Your generosity of spirit helps reassure others in a time when so many are afraid.
• Thank you for your generosity and concern for our community. Although you’re making 16% fewer shopping trips, Lend-a-Hand donations are up 5% this year. July round-ups increased by 10%, and September was 14% up! (Owners, don’t forget to vote for next year’s Lend-a-Hand recipients. Learn more here.)

To our staff:
• Thank you for showing up day after day, despite the risks and stress. We know you didn’t sign up to be on the front lines of a pandemic, but you’ve risen to the challenge. This year has revealed how essential your work really is. We are grateful for your dedication and cheerful service.
• Thank you for shouldering extra responsibilities and filling in wherever you’re needed. You’re keeping our store clean, safe, and stocked.
• Thank you for handling difficult interactions with grace and kindness, always. You are an inspiration.
As we look ahead to 2021, we are excited to welcome our new general manager, Rich Rosenberg. He comes to us with extensive leadership experience and expertise in groceries, specialty foods, and deli and prepared foods. He has held leadership roles at Whole Foods in Austin; Balducci’s in Bethesda, MD; and most recently, Fairway Market in New York City. Expect to see Rich at the co-op later this month. When you do, say hello. He’ll be getting acclimated to life in the Far North, and we’re eager to see where his enthusiasm and knowledge can take us in the coming years.

In cooperation,

Co-op Market Board of Directors:
Art Gelvin, Brian Kassof, Anduin McElroy, Chase Nelson, Madeline Patterson-O’Dell, Hilary Shook, Rich Seifert

Shaun Sims, Interim General Manager

P.S. If you wondered whether you’d missed our annual newsletter, which we usually print in October, expect a report on 2019 after the first of the year. COVID, staffing issues, and our GM search interrupted our regular publishing process.